


For You, Sweetheart

by annegirl13



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fantasy, Fluff, Pining, fairy tale AU, fluffy goodness, mutual pining (a bit?)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:06:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28882170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annegirl13/pseuds/annegirl13
Summary: Months after you rescued him and took him in, Red has to leave you and your cozy cottage.  As he helps his brother with a job, he searches for a gift that is worth everything he owes you.
Relationships: Red x Kezi, Red x OC, Red x Reader, UF Sans x Reader
Kudos: 15





	For You, Sweetheart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Keziha_chan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keziha_chan/gifts).



> This story is a gift for Keziha_chan, who drew me a beautiful picture of fairy tale Red holding a gorgeous necklace. I promised her a story in return and...well, let's just say that inspiration struck! I did not intend to write so much! Kezi's art was just so beautiful that I couldn't stop writing! 
> 
> This does take place after the Fairy Tale RP that happened on my blog last year. You don't have to have read that RP to understand this, but as a quick refresher, Red and Kezi met in the RP because he took a shortcut while low on magic and ended up at her cottage. He temporarily lost his ability to shortcut while his magic reserves built up again. Red's brother, Boss, helped Lady Trashy (trashybonecan) take back control of her parents' estate during that same RP. Red and Kezi never mentioned feelings before the RP ended. Boss and Trashy got together. The story is set a few months after the RP. 
> 
> Enjoy, and thank you again, Kezi!!!

Red woke up slowly, something he still wasn’t used to. He opened his sockets and sat up in bed. He was in a bed. In a bedroom. He couldn’t help his smile as he remembered exactly where he was. Not just a bedroom. His bedroom in your house. 

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and looked around the room. Honestly, if his brother could see it, he wouldn’t believe his sockets. Red wasn’t normally a neat kind of skeleton, but for you, he was trying. You just got such a sad little look when you saw he’d left a mess, and you’d ask so sweetly. “Could you make the bed, please? Maybe?” or “Do you think you could pick those up?” He always did what you asked, just because of the beautiful little smile you got when he did. Boss wouldn’t believe it. He’d been screaming at Red for years to pick up after himself, and you got him to do it with puppy dog eyes and a cute smile? It would drive his brother crazy. 

With that thought in mind, Red got up and actually made an attempt at making the bed. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do. He picked up his clothes where he’d dropped them on the floor (as long as you didn’t see, it didn’t matter) and got dressed. The clothes were all ones you’d made for him, including the cloak with the extra fluffy hood. 

You’d done so much for him since that day he’d shown up in your garden, too weak to do anything. He still didn’t entirely understand why you’d trusted him, but he was so grateful. That was another reason why he was trying so hard to be good and help around here. He owed you. Helping around the house and the garden was just a start. One of these days, he was going to do something for you to really make it up to you. He just wasn’t sure what. 

He heard a crash from downstairs. “Kezi? You okay?” 

“Fine!” you called back. “I just dropped something!” 

He took a shortcut--thank the Angel he could do that again!--and reappeared in the kitchen, where you were working on cleaning up a basket of spilled fruit. You dropped one of the apples again when you saw him. 

“Oh!” you squeaked. “I’m still not used to you doing that!” 

“Sorry, sweetheart,” he said, grinning broadly. “Just wanted to make sure you were all right.” He picked up the apple and put it back in the basket for you. “Anything else I can do for ya this morning?” 

“No.” You gave him that beautiful smile of yours. “You can get yourself some breakfast if you want, though. The pot is still over the fire.” 

“You already eat?” 

You hesitated for a moment. “Yes,” you said. “Before you came down.” 

He knew that tone. “Kezi...”

“I did!” 

“You sure?” 

“Yes!”

“You didn’t just stick your finger in the porridge to see if it was ready and call that breakfast again?” 

“I--” You puffed up for a moment, like a kitten, and then just as quickly you deflated. “Fine. I did. I wasn’t hungry.” 

“Well, if I’m eating, then you’re gonna eat too,” Red said. Before you could stop him, he found both your bowls and two spoons and walked over to the fire. He ladled two portions of porridge into the bowls and handed one to you. “Come on. Let’s go sit and eat and you can tell me what you’re gonna do today.” 

You followed him to your couch and sat next to him. Red listened as you told him about what you’d be working on today--more harvesting in the garden, some mending for folks in town, and maybe--if you had time for it--your special project you’d been keeping a secret from him. Mentally, Red tallied up what all he could do for you in that. It still didn’t feel like enough. What would be enough? 

“Oh!” you said, drawing him out of his thoughts. “You got a note! I completely forgot about it last night. A carrier pigeon brought it after you’d gone up to bed. Hang on.” You reached into your pocket and pulled out a small scroll of paper. “Who’s it from?” 

Red balanced his bowl on his knee and took the scroll. He unrolled it. “It’s from my brother,” he said, looking at the neat script. “He’s, uh, he’s got a job for me.” 

“A job?” 

“Yeah.” He scanned the note again. Something about nobles under Boss’s new lady friend and “your special skills will come in handy”. That probably meant Boss needed his help kidnapping some rich asshole or something like that, but he wasn’t going to tell you that. “He needs me to help him with something,” he said. “It shouldn’t take more’n a few days.” 

“Are you going to go?” you asked. “I mean, I don’t mind if you do, but...” You trailed off, your cheeks going slightly pink. “I’ll miss you, is all.” 

“I’ll miss you too.” Red felt his own cheekbones growing warm. “I won’t go if you don’t want me to. I can tell Boss you need me here.” 

“No, no, you should go.” 

“You sure? I’d hate to leave ya alone.” 

“I lived alone for a long time before you came, mister,” you said, and now you were getting that bossy tone to your voice. “I can do just fine by myself, thanks. Go and help your brother.” You reached out a hand and touched his, just for a moment. “Just...promise you’ll come back?” 

Red set his porridge bowl on the floor. He took your hand in both of his. “I promise,” he said, making sure he met your eyes. He gave your hand a little squeeze. “I’ll come home as soon as I’m done.” 

Your face was the same color as a strawberry. You looked away first, but you didn’t pull your hand away. Red gave it one more little squeeze, then let go. He picked up his porridge bowl and busied himself finishing his breakfast. 

“I’ll pack you some food for the road,” you said, standing up so fast you nearly knocked over your empty bowl. 

“Thanks...” He wanted to say more, but he couldn’t find the words. There was something there, in the feeling he had with your hand in his, in the look in your eyes. He wanted to tell you something, but the words seemed to be stuck somewhere between his brain and his mouth. Instead, he just filled his stupid mouth with the rest of his breakfast. 

Your morning plans went on hold as you helped him write back to his brother and pack things for his journey. Red marveled at your kindness. How could you just set your own duties aside like that? He’d seen you do it for months now and he still didn’t understand. The more he thought about leaving, the more he began to worry. What would happen if someone broke in here while he was away? What if you got hurt? What if you forgot to eat again? What if-whatif-whatifwhatifwhatif---

“Kezi,” he finally said, as you stuffed even more food into a knapsack for him, “you’ll take care of yourself while I’m gone, right? You’ll eat and all that?” 

“Of course I will,” you said. “I’ll be fine.” 

“And--and you won’t let anybody in the house that you don’t know, right?” 

“Yes, mother.” 

“And you won’t...take apples or anything from weird peddlers?” 

You straightened up and put your hands on your hips. “I’m not a fool, Red,” you said. “I told you, I lived on my own before you got here and I managed just fine. I’ll be fine.” You picked up the knapsack and handed it to him with a bit more force than was strictly necessary. 

Red hung his head. “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he said. “I just...I care about ya. I want ya to be safe. That’s all...” 

You stepped forward and wrapped your arms around him. “I’m sorry I snapped at you,” you said. “I’m just worried about you. You’re the one leaving. I want you to be safe too.” 

“I will be.” He let the knapsack fall to the floor so he could hug you back properly. He loved the feeling of holding you like this. It felt so...right. You were soft and warm in his arms and you just...fit. Again, he tried to find the words he needed, and again they seemed to just stick. His soul started humming softly in his chest. He wondered if you could hear it. He wondered if you knew what it meant. 

You rested your head on his shoulder and gave a little sigh. “I’m going to miss you so much,” you murmured. He felt something damp soak into his shirt. 

“I’m gonna miss you too, Kezi.” He struggled again for words and found...something. “Do you want me to bring you anything back?” 

That got you to look up. “What?” 

“A present,” Red said. “I could...bring you something, like a present, when I come back.” 

“I don’t want anything,” you said. “I just want you to come back safely.” 

“I will. I promise.” 

You stood together for a moment longer. Red’s soul ached when you finally stepped back and wiped your eyes. “You’d better go,” you said softly. “The faster you leave, the faster you’ll be back...” 

“I’ll send one of Boss’s pigeons, let you know when I get there,” Red said, because nothing else would come out of his damn mouth. “And another one when I’m coming home.” 

“Thank you.” 

You picked up the knapsack. He took it and stowed it in his inventory. He wanted to hug you again, but he knew that if he did, he wouldn’t let go. Instead, he flashed you his best grin. “I’ll be back before you know it, sweetheart. Take care.” 

“Take care, Red.” 

You watched as he disappeared. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Red stared at his brother. “You want me to do what?” 

“Liberate the treasures from Lord Fortesque’s manor and bring them back here. He is refusing to fall under my lady’s rule, so this is the consequence--he is losing his prized possessions.” Boss said it like it was the most obvious and natural thing in the world. 

“You want me to rob some noble.”

“Not rob. Liberate his treasure.”

“He’s been sitting on it for so long, it’s worthless to him,” Boss’s lady explained. “And it probably smells like his farts.” 

“Trashy,” Boss scolded. 

“What? It probably does! We’re going to have to wash it all before we hand it out to people.” 

“You don’t have to say it!” Boss said with a long-suffering sigh. “You’re so rude sometimes!”

Trashy just snickered. “Aww, Bossy...” She hopped off her chair and plopped herself on his lap instead. Red watched his brother’s face soften as she looked up at him with her big shining eyes. “You’re so handsome _all_ the time!” Boss leaned down so she could give him a kiss on the teeth.

“Any time you two wanna stop makin’ googoo eyes at each other,'' Red grumbled. “I still don’t understand why you need me for this.” He tried very hard to ignore the flash of jealousy he felt at the sight of his little brother getting all mushy over a girl. He pushed all thoughts of you firmly out of his mind. 

Boss looked at him over Trashy’s curls. “I thought it was obvious,” he said. “You can take one of your shortcuts into the lord’s treasure room, take as much treasure as possible, and shortcut out. Put that treasure in our treasure room and go back. Repeat until all the treasure is here and not there. It should take you maybe one night.” 

“Except I don’t know where the hell the stupid lord’s treasure room _is_ , Boss,” Red snapped. “I can’t shortcut somewhere I ain’t been to before, and there’s no way Lord Fort-whatsis is gonna let me in there even if I go and ask real nice.” 

Boss frowned. “That is an issue.” He looked at Trashy. “Any ideas, my lady?” 

Trashy screwed up her face in concentration. “You know where the manor is, Bossy,” she said slowly. “You could show him the general area, at least. And then maybe he could find a window? Or a little side door? I can look at all our maps and stuff. We’ve got loads in the library.” She looked at Red. “You couldn’t just get there if I gave you a map?” 

“Nope.” 

“Well then, why don’t you and the captain go and at least look at the place and I’ll see what I can find?” 

“That sounds like a fine plan to me,” Boss said, in a voice that Red knew meant it was the plan they were going with, whether he liked it or not. 

“Sure,” he said, shrugging. “Let’s go, Boss.” He walked to the door of the great hall and purposely turned his back. He didn’t need to see however Boss and Trashy were going to say goodbye. 

The thought of goodbyes brought his mind back to you. Had he really only left you this morning? Only a few hours ago? He wondered what you were doing right now. Were you thinking about him? Were you worried? He still needed to send you a note to let you know he was here...

Boot heels clicked on the stone floor as Boss finally made his way toward Red. “Don’t just stand there,” he snapped. “Let’s get moving!” 

That was more like the Boss he knew. He grinned at his brother. “You’re the boss, Boss,” he said. “Or is it _Bossy_ now? I mean, I wasn’t ever gonna say anything, but you can get a little--”

“Shut up!” Boss snapped. He grabbed Red by the arm and pulled him out of the hall as Red snickered. As the two of them left the castle and headed back into the forest, it felt almost just like old times. He hadn’t wanted to admit it, but he’d missed his brother. 

Lord Whats-his-face didn’t live too far from Trashy’s home, even taking the long way through the forest, so Boss and Red made good time. They didn’t talk much, but the silence between them was more comfortable than it had ever been before. Red tried to subtly study his brother. He had changed. He looked the same, except maybe a bit better dressed, but he was definitely...softer than he had been. Less prickly. Lady Trashy had had a good influence on him. 

“You’re different,” Boss said, echoing his thoughts. 

“What do you mean?” 

“You look...better than you were.” 

“I feel better than the last time you saw me, if that’s what you mean,” Red said. “But since the last time ya saw me I was just recoverin’ from almost dyin’, I don’t think it’s too surprising.” 

“I don’t mean your physical appearance, you moron,” Boss snapped. “You’re...you look like you’ve been taking care of yourself for once. Like you’re eating regularly and all that.” 

Red touched a hand to his stomach. “Kezi feeds me like I’m still starving,” he said, “but I didn’t think it was that noticeable. Are you sayin’ I’m gettin’ fat, Boss?” 

Boss sighed and rubbed his temples. “That’s still not what I meant. Never mind! I was trying to give you a compliment, but if you want to spin it into a joke, fine. Go right ahead.” 

“Nah,” Red said. He looked at his brother seriously. “I know what ya meant. It’s all down to Kezi. She’s been real good to me.” 

“She must be. I expected you to come back before now.” 

“I can’t yet. I still--I owe her a lot. I’m not all paid up yet. Didn’t I always teach ya to pay your debts?”

“You did.”

“I just don’t know what to do for her, or get for her, to make it even.” He frowned and tilted his head. “I wanna give her _something_. I just don’t know what.” 

“Maybe you’ll find something in Lord Fortesque’s treasures. We’d let you take something back with you, as payment for your services.” 

Red blinked. “You think he’d have somethin’ good enough?”

“He might,” Boss said with a shrug. “I’ve never seen his horde. You’ll have to get in there and find out. Come on. We’re nearly at the manor.” 

The “manor” did not appear to be heavily guarded, or guarded at all, in fact. From their spot in the trees, Red and Boss could see the front doors. As they watched, the doors opened and a tall, thin man in fine clothing stepped out. 

“Yes, and tell them that I won’t be back until quite late on Saturday evening!” he called back into the house. His posh accent was grating. “Oh! And have Rutherford fetch the best jewels. I want to present them to my darling Allison when we return. She’ll have her pick of all of them!”

“Yes, my lord,” said a flat voice. Boss and Red exchanged looks. 

“Oh, and LeChat? Don’t forget the ones we took from those monsters last week. Those...magic ones. You know what I mean. I really think Allison is going to adore those.” 

“Yes, my lord. I’ll get them.” 

“Well, I think that’s all. Don’t get your tail caught in the door again, LeChat. And don’t even think of stealing any of my treasures!” 

“Yes, my lord.”

The brothers could just see an orange-striped tail lashing out of the way as Lord Fortesque slammed the doors shut. Red had to cover his mouth to suppress a snicker. Boss looked like the cat who just ate the canary. This was going to be far easier than either of them had imagined. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Boss and Red went back to Trashy’s castle to inform her of the good news: Lord Fortesque was out of the house until Saturday, and it seemed that Lord Fortesque’s butler was not only a monster, but one that they knew of old. LeChat had wanted to be a bard, but he’d given up on that dream after a bad experience working for the famous (or infamous) Mettaton. From the sound of it, he wasn’t doing much better at his new job. But if they could get him on their side, make him the right promise, he could lead Red right to the treasure room.

Trashy nearly fell out of her chair in delight at their story. “That’s perfect!” she said, throwing her arms around Boss’s neck. “Tell him if he wants to be a bard, he can come be one here! We can always use more musicians! Right, Bossy?”

“If you say so, my lady.” Boss smirked. 

“I do,” she said triumphantly and stood on tiptoe to give him a little kiss. 

Red coughed. “So, er, you want me to go back there and talk to him, Boss, or do you wanna do it?”

“You can go,” Trashy said. “The captain is going to be a little...occupied.” She giggled again. “Aren’t you?” 

“If you say so, my lady,” Boss said.

Red could have sworn his brother had hearts in his eye sockets. He tried not to gag. “I’ll just bring the first load of treasure back here then?” he said hastily.

They both nodded, already wrapped up in each other again. Red took a shortcut before any pangs of jealousy could take root. 

After looking around a bit to make sure no one was watching, he sauntered up to the manor and knocked on the door in an old secret pattern. After a moment, it creaked open. 

LeChat was as scruffy as Red remembered, but a bit more dead in the eyes. “What are you doing here?” he hissed. “I could get in big trouble if you’re caught here.” 

“I’m not gonna get caught,” Red hissed back, “because you’re not gonna tell anybody I was here. You’re gonna come out here and you’re gonna listen to me and then you’re gonna help me. You got it?”

LeChat let Red pull him out of the house and off into the cover of the trees, but the fur on the back of his neck stood up straight and his tail was twice its normal size. “What the hell do you want?” he snapped as soon as they were under cover. 

“I wanna ruin Lord Thingamy’s day for the way he treats monsters, including you,” Red said with a smirk.

LeChat depuffed a little bit. “What’s in it for me?” he asked, his eyes narrowing. “And how do I know you won’t get caught?”

Red explained the plan. By the time he was done, LeChat was looking considerably more pleased with the whole idea. 

“Lady Trashy would really want me as a bard?” he asked, suddenly looking more like a kitten than an alley cat. 

“That’s what she said.”

“And I just have to take you to the room once?”

“Yep. After that, you won’t even know I’m there.” 

LeChat licked a paw thoughtfully. Then he smirked. “All right,” he said. “I’ll show you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Red had never seen a treasure room before. He wasn’t exactly sure what he’d been expecting. Maybe more like the dragon hordes he’d heard about in stories, with piles of gold and jewels everywhere, shining in the light of the torches. Instead what he found was an average sized room with trunks piled along the walls. He opened one, just to make sure this was the right place and that there really was treasure here. Wouldn’t it be just his luck if the lord had already been robbed? 

Apparently luck was on his side. There was the gleaming gold he’d been expecting! Silver too, and jewels of colors he hadn’t even known existed. He closed the trunk and put it into his inventory. He could probably take most of this in one trip! He might even finish this job in a day after all. 

He checked each trunk as he went, just to make sure. He was only half looking at the items. Mostly, he thought about you. What would your face look like if you were here seeing this? What would you think of what he was doing? Would you approve? What kinds of things would you like from this collection of priceless things? What here could possibly be worthy of you? 

A glint of red and green caught his eye as he opened the last chest. This one was lighter than the others, and it just felt...different. He realized what it was as soon as he took a good look inside. These must be the magical items Lord Whosis had mentioned. 

The red and green he’d noticed were part of a delicate pendant in the shape of a five-petaled flower. The petals faded from red on the tips to almost pure white at the center, where a smooth, round green gem glowed softly. Around the flower was a thin circle of silver, with a silver leaf on one side. The whole thing hung on a silver chain. There was a matching pin next to it, with exactly the same colors. 

Red picked both items up carefully and weighed them in his hands. He turned them over in his hands, trying to assess the magic in them. Good first sign--he didn’t dust. They weren’t cursed or made of magicorite. The more he touched them, the more he could feel what the spell was exactly. It was mage magic, stronger and more specific than any monster magic. He grinned. These would be perfect for you. He tucked them into a separate part of his inventory and put the rest of the box in with the other treasure. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the time Red had loaded all the treasure chests into his inventory, it was growing dark outside. He left a scroll with Trashy and Boss’s calling card on it, just so Lord Fartswell would know who it was who’d taken all his treasure. (He wasn’t entirely convinced that part was a good idea, but that was on Boss, not on him.) Then he took a shortcut back upstairs and found LeChat in the entryway. “Are you ready to get out of here?” he asked. 

“I’ve been ready since the day I got here,” the cat monster said. 

“Then hold onto me,” Red said, “and no claws!” 

A moment later, he and LeChat appeared in Trashy’s great hall. Boss and Trashy were sitting together with their heads so close that Red couldn’t tell if they were talking or kissing. He pulled one chest of treasure out of his inventory and dropped it on the floor as loudly as he could. “I’m ba-ack!” he sing-songed. 

It was worth LeChat’s claws on his arm to see Boss jump. His brother shoved Trashy behind him and summoned a bone sword in one smooth move. Red couldn’t help laughing. “It’s just me, Boss,” he said. 

Boss vanished the sword and glowered at him. “That was fast.” 

Red shrugged. “The lord didn’t have as much treasure as we thought, I guess,” he said. “But I got everything he did have.” 

Boss and Trashy hurried down to see exactly what he’d brought. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The moon was high in the sky by the time Red managed to get to the pigeon loft to send you a note. Trashy had insisted that he stay the night. He had insisted that he be allowed to send you a message. Guilt weighed upon him as he thought about how worried you must be. He scribbled a note.

_Dear Kezi,_

_Sorry I didn’t write as soon as I got here. Boss kinda tossed me right into the job. Everything went all right, though. I’m all done. I’ll be home first thing in the morning, so save some breakfast for me._

_I miss you, Kezi. See you in the morning._

_Yours,_

_Red_

He almost signed it ‘love’ but couldn’t bring himself to do it. He did press his teeth to it, just for a moment, before tying it to a pigeon’s leg and sending the bird off into the night. He wondered if you were looking at the moon too, and if you were missing him so much your soul ached, the way he was missing you. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The night lasted forever. He couldn’t sleep. He wanted to, but his mind wouldn’t stop. He kept thinking of everything he’d missed with you by being away, of what you must have been doing and thinking. He wondered if you were lying awake in your own bed, thinking of him at the same time. 

In the morning, Trashy’s servants fussed over him, insisting on getting him new clothes and a _bath_ and breakfast and--Stars Above, he just wanted to be gone! 

“Enough!” he finally said. “I’ve got to go. Kezi’s waiting on me. I need to go home.” 

Boss gave him a look. “Home?” he repeated. “That place is home now?” 

“Yeah.” Red nodded. “Wherever Kezi is, that’s home for me.” 

Boss looked like he was going to say something, but Trashy put a hand on his arm. “I think it’s wonderful,” she said. “Go on home, Red. Maybe we can invite you and Kezi here again someday soon.” 

“I’ll ask her,” Red said. “I think she’d like that.” He stood up. “You know where to write me. I’m going home.” He stepped away from the table, closed his eyes, and imagined your cottage. In one more step, he was there. 

He landed on the path in the front garden and ran for the door. He didn’t even bother knocking, just burst in and looked around for you. He heard a clatter in the kitchen.

“Red?” Your voice was a dream. How had he forgotten what you sounded like after only one day? You raced out of the kitchen and into his arms before he could take another step. 

“Kezi!” He wrapped his arms around you, holding you close and drinking in the feel of having you so close. 

“I missed you so much!” you said, burying your face in the collar of his cloak. “I didn’t get your note until so late--I was worried about you!” 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry ya. I didn’t have a chance to write before then. It went faster than I thought.” 

“Did you get the job done, then?” 

“All done.” He loosened his grip on you, just a little bit. “I got ya something, sweetheart.” 

“What? You--how did you have time to find me a present?” 

“It was part of the job,” he said. “I’ll tell you all about it later. You wanna see what I gotcha?”

“Yes!” You let go of him completely to clap your hands in excitement. Red stepped back and pulled the pendant from his inventory. He held it out to you, letting it dangle between his fingers so it caught the candlelight. 

He heard your breath catch in your throat. “Oh Red--it’s gorgeous! I’ve never seen anything like it! It’s beautiful!” 

“That musta been why I thought of you when I saw it,” he said. “It’s almost as pretty as you are.” 

“Red!” Your cheeks flushed. 

“Do you like it?” 

“I love it.” You took it gently, as if it were made of glass, and traced the details with a fingertip. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”

“I wanted to,” Red grinned. “You been so nice to me, and I feel bad about worryin’ ya.” He pulled the pin out of his inventory too. “This way, I don’t hafta wait and send a pigeon. There’s a little magic in these that’ll let you know if I’m all right and let me know if you’re okay.” 

You blinked in surprise. “Really?” You lifted the pendant to look at it more closely. “How does it work?” You ran your finger over the green gem at the center. It began to glow softly. So did the gem in the center of the pin. 

“That’s how,” Red said. “I knew you’d figure it out. You just rub that gem and I’ll know somethin’s going on with ya. I think it’ll do different things if you rub it fast or slow or whatever. We can figure that out. But I thought this way if ya needed me, I could come home fast.” 

“And if you need me, I can come find you too,” you said. You closed one hand over the pendant and brought the other to his cheek. He couldn’t help nuzzling into the warmth of your palm. 

“Yeah,” he said. He reached up and covered your hand with his. 

“Thank you, Red,” you said softly. “I love it. But you really didn’t have to get me anything.” 

“I gotta pay you back somehow.”

“Pay me back?” You blinked. “For what?” 

Red felt his cheekbones grow a little warmer. “You been so nice to me,” he said. “Takin’ care of me all this time, lettin’ me stay with ya...I owe ya. I figured this was a start at repaying my debt, at least.” 

“You don’t owe me anything, you silly skeleton,” you said fondly. “I love having you here. You’re the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time. I don’t want anything in return.” 

His soul started to hum in his chest. You were so close, he was sure you could hear it. “But I want to give you things,” he said. “I wanna give you all the good things in the world, Kezi. You deserve ‘em. If I could, I woulda brought you all the jewels I found yesterday. Every single one of ‘em.” Somehow, almost without thought, he moved his hand to cup your cheek. He brushed a stray curl from your face. “You deserve all the good things in the world.” 

“All I want is you,” you said, so softly he almost didn’t hear you. “All I want is you, Red. Here, with me.” 

Tears stung his sockets. “You mean that?” he breathed. 

“I mean it. With all my heart.” You caressed his cheek. “You’ve become so dear to me these past few months. I...I love you, Red.” 

His soul burst into song at those words. He stroked your cheek in return. “Oh, sweetheart...I love you too!” 

The two of you stood for a moment, hands on each other’s cheeks, gazing into each other’s eyes. Then Red leaned forward. Slowly, he closed the gap between you, pressing his teeth as gently as he could to your lips. For a moment you felt only warm bone against your skin. Then a tingle started and spread, a delightful tingling warmth that flowed through your entire body until you felt as though it would lift you off your feet. 

Red broke the kiss. He couldn’t help it. He had to laugh with the sheer delight of it all. “I love you,” he said again. It felt so good to say it! These were the words he hadn’t been able to find. Now he could say them over and over, as often as he liked. “I love you, Kezi,” he repeated. “I love you so much.” 

“More than anything in the world,” you said happily, and you kissed him again. 


End file.
